The present invention relates generally to seat belt retractor mechanisms for safety belts and components thereof.
Most commercially sold motor vehicles are equipped with a safety belt system to restrain passengers during collisions. The safety belt system typically includes one or more separate belts or an elongated single safety belt divided into a lap belt and a shoulder belt for the passenger. One or more safety belt retractors are mounted in the vehicle for winding the lap belts and shoulder belts on reels to keep them neatly stored when not in use. It is desirable that a safety belt retractor be relatively compact to avoid interference with utilization of vehicle interior space. A known retractor mechanism is illustrated in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 122,289, filed Feb. 19, 1980, entitled "Dual Reel Retractor", now U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,955, which is incorporated herein by reference. Although the present invention is described herein in connection with a plurality of retractors, namely one retractor for the lap belt and another for the shoulder belt, the present invention is usable with a single retractory in a safety belt system.
To aid passengers in entering vehicles at night, it is common for vehicles such as cars and vans to have lights positioned near their doorways to illuminate portions of their floors adjacent the doors when the doors are opened. Such lights may be mounted in the walls of the vehicle or in door panels. Mounting lights in such locations may require that openings be cut in the walls or door panels and that light fixtures be fastened to the walls or panels adjacent the openings. In a vehicle having forward and rearward doors, separate lights may be required to provide adequate lighting for each door. Expenses associated with installation of lights as described above add to the cost of manufacturing the vehicle.
In the case of vans, the sliding door and captain's chairs take considerable space and does not leave large amounts of convenient space in which to mount individual laps at a relatively low cost.